Milling machine with multiple-spindle attachment

ABSTRACT

An adapter for converting a vertical single-spindle milling machine to a machine capable of simultaneously performing a number of milling operations. The adapter, which includes at least one auxiliary spindle, fits upon the quill and is supported by guide rods mounted to the frame of the machine and to the adapter. Means are provided to transmit motion from the vertical miller spindle to the adapter-auxiliary spindle, and to stabilize the auxiliary spindles so that they are unaffected by the rotation of the quill about its own axis.

[151 3,641,873 [451 Feb. 15, 1972 United States Patent Jacques 1/1963408/52 X 5/1969 ....408/42 X 3,552,264 1/1971Meinke...............................

Koeppen Heap et a1...

David E. Jacques, Waterbury, Conn.

[73] Assignee: Waveline, Inc., West Caldwell, NJ.

[22] Filed:

Primary ExaminerGi1 Weidenfeld Anarney-Sandoe, Hopgood and Calimafde May15, I970 [57] ABSTRACT ter for converting a vertical single-spindlemilling [21 Appl. No.: 37,709

An adap machine to a machine capable of simultaneously performing anumber of milling operations. The adapter, which includes at least oneauxiliary spindle, fits upon the quill and is supported by guide rodsmounted to the frame of the machine and to the adapter. Means areprovided to transmit motion from the verem e 4//4 89 8 83 w bm when m Hw m l 9 U c m B n m "0 m m L m 0 d 3 an U m l l] 2 .18 5 55 .l [.l

tical miller spindle to the adapter-auxiliary spindle, and to sta-References cued bilize the auxiliary spindles so that they areunaffected by the rotation of the quill about its own axis.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 13 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1,999,197 Schauer etal. ......................408/42 X s??? wacsgw PATENFEUFEBIS m23.641.873

SHEET 1 [IF 3 mv TOR DAV/0 ACQUES MILLING MACHINE WllTIIMULTIPLE-SPINDLE ATTACHMENT This invention relates generally to millingmachines, and more particularly to an attachment for use with a verticalmilling machine for providing multiple-spindle operation of the machine.

General purpose vertical milling machines are characterized by a movablebearing housing or quill which provides means for vertically feeding andretracting the milling tool into and from the workpiece. To provide thismotion, it is necessary to establish a small amount of clearance betweenthe quill and its supporting structure, resulting in a slight amount ofrotary play around the vertical axis of the quill. This play does notmaterially affect the suitability of the machine for most applications;however, as a result of the rotation of the quill, it has heretofore notbeen possible to provide multiple-spindle attachments for a verticalmilling machine as has been done with the horizontal milling machinesince the rotary play of the quill is multiplied at an outrigger orauxiliary spindle located at a distance from the axis of rotation of thequill. The resulting multiplied amount of play of the outrigger spinleis usually excessive for normal machining tolerances.

Since it is generally axiomatic that economy is served when theproduction output of a machine can be increased, it is an object of thisinvention to provide a multiple-spindle attachment for a verticalmilling machine which will maintain accuracy in the auxiliary spindle orspindles, and thus afford a plurality of simultaneous millingoperations.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an attachment for avertical milling machine which enables simultaneous milling operationsto be performed at a plurality of spaced locations in a reliable andaccurate manner.

This invention provides an attachment for a vertical milling machine inwhich one or more auxiliary spindles are rotatably supported on an axisparallel to but offset from the main spindle axis, and means for drivingthe auxiliary spindles from the main spindle.

Stabilizing guide means are provided to connect the adapter to the frameof the machine and to establish an axis of guided support parallel tobut offset from the rotary axis of the spindles. As a result, theauxiliary spindles are substantially unaffected by the rotation of thequill of the milling machine about its axis.

To the accomplishment of the above and to such further objects as mayhereinafter appear, the present invention relates to a milling machinewith a multiple-spindle attachment, substantially as defined in theappended claims and as described in the following specification takentogether with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a vertical milling machine with themultiple-spindle attachment of this invention in place;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the attachment taken along line 2 2 in FIG. 1',

FIG. 3 is a view in partial cross section of the attachment showing themounting of the outrigger spindle in the attachment housing;

FIG. 4 is a view in partial cross section taken along line 4-4 of FIG.3, showing the stabilizing means mounted upon the attachment housing andthe frame of the machine; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 showing the attachmenthousing rotated 90 for performing milling operations in a plane normalto the face of the machine.

The milling machine shown in FIG. 1 is a typical general purposemachine. It would be inaccurate to categorize this machine as solely avertical milling machine since the head may be positioned in all planesbetween the vertical and the horizontal. However, the milling machinemeets the essential criterion for the environment in which the inventionis useful, that is, a machine which has a movable bearing housing orquill for feeding a tool into a stationary workpiece.

The machine shown in FIG. 1 may be considered as consisting essentiallyof four major elements. These are the head 10, the ram 11, the base orfoundation of the machine 12, and the table 13. In general, theseelements will all be included in the word "frame" throughout thedisclosure. The function of the base is, of course, to provide asuitable foundation for the other elements of the machine. The basicfunction of the table is to position the workpiece on a convenientsurface under the tool. The ram is the element which permits movement ofthe head over the table so as to position the tool in a desired verticalplane without rechecking the squareness of the spindle. The head is thetool-carrying element.

Head 10 includes a motor 14 which provides a source of rotary power tothe spindle; it may include a multispeed trans-- mission arrangement toconnect the motor and a tool-supporting spindle to enhance theversatility of the milling machine. The spindle itself is located alonga vertical axis X-X and extends downwardly from a cap I6 and through ahousing 17. A small portion of an elongated quill 18 is shown extendingfrom the lower end of housing 17 and is also arranged along axis XX. Notshown in FIG. I are the spindle, the collet, and tool which are mountedin and rotatably supported by the quill 18. Also not shown but locatedwithin the housing I7 are the axially elongated means which hold thequill and guide it vertically to position the tool into and out ofengagement with a workpiece or the table. A manual feed mechanism fordisplacing the quill to advance the tool into the workpiece is shown at19.

In accord with the present invention a multiple-spindle adaptergenerally designated 20 is attached to the machine to convert themachine for multiple-spindle operation, that is, to provide the machinewith the capability of performing one or more additional millingoperations at locations spaced from the miller or central spindle. Asherein shown, the adapter car ries two outrigger or auxiliary spindles21 and 22 located within adapter 20 and are held in place by spindlenuts 53 and 54.

The auxiliary spindles are driven from the main spindle 23 carried byquill 18 by a pulley and belt arrangement shown more clearly in FIG. 3,and described in greater detail below.

The auxiliary spindles 21 and 22 are stabilized by guide means whichinclude a bushing bracket 24 and bushings 25 and 26 secured to bracket24. Guide rods 27 and 28 are respectively supported at their upper endsin bushings 25 and 26 and at their lower ends by brackets 29 and 30mounted on the housing of adapter 20. In the embodiment hereinillustrated, the guide rods are fixedly held in bushings 25 and 26 bymeans of set screws and slidably mounted in the adapter brackets 29 and30. For increased stability, the lower ends of the guide rods may alsobe fixedly held in bushing brackets. Although not illustrated in thedrawings, these last named brackets would be similar to bushings 25 and26 and would preferably be mounted on the base of the machine on theaxis of the guide rods.

Alternatively, the guide rods may be fixedly mounted to the adapterbrackets 29 and 30 and slidably mounted in bushings 25 and 26. Such amounting would not materially alter the function of the adapter of itsstability.

The head 10 of the milling machine is joined at 31 to the ram end 11 bya simple nut and bolt arrangement, two of which are shown at 32. In theembodiment illustrated, the bushing bracket 2 is inserted between thehead and the ram end at joint 31. Thus the bracket 2 is firmly affixedto the frame so as to provide an extension of the frame and a convenientsurface upon which to mount the frame-attached bushings 25 and 26. Asindicated above, bushing 25 provides a stationary frame-attached mountthrough which the guide rod 27 is inserted and fixedly held by setscrews, shrink fit or any other suitable connection means. Bracket 29 isattached to the rear side of the housing of adapter 20 and is bored to adiameter closely matched but slightly larger than the diameter of theguide rod 27, thus providing a slide fit enabling the adapter 20 to movevertically with the quill by sliding along the guide rod 25. The secondguide rod 28 may be seen in FIG. 1, but bushing 26 is hidden from viewbehind the spindle housing 17. It should be noted that the guide rods 27and 28, together with the mounting bushings and brackets, provide astabilizing means preventing the adapter 20 from rotating about the axisof the quill 18 despite the unavoidable play in the quill which isnecessary in providing a displaceable main spindle.

In FIG. the adapter 20 is shown rotated by 90 so as to align the twooutrigger spindles in a plane normal to the direction of the worktable.Such a rotation is feasible only if certain conditions are met, i.e.,the distance from the vertical plane defined by the axis of symmetry ofthe outrigger spindles to the axis of the respective stabilizing rods isequal to the distance from a vertical plane including the axis of thespindles to the respective guide rod axis; in reference to FIG. 2,dimension A, B, C, and D must all be equal. By providing this symmetryto the construction, FIG. 6 shows that guide rod 27 may be inserted intobracket 30 and stability maintained for the two outrigger spindlesthrough the one guide rod.

P16. 2 shows a plan view of the adapter 20 secured to the quill by meansof a collar or slide 33 clamped to the quill by means such as bolts 34.A slot 35 provides means for slipping the adapter slide onto the quilland also provides space for drawing up the adapter on the surface of thequill to provide a tight connection. The bore of quill 18 provides thearea in which the spindle, collet and tool assembly is located. FIG. 2also illustrates, in phantom, the position of adapter 20 when it isrotated 90 in the manner shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the adapter 20 illustrating the interiordriving structure surrounding the outrigger spindle 28, it beingunderstood that the drive and mounting arrangement for the outeroutrigger spindle 21 is substantially the same. High precision thrustbearings 36 and 37 are located in adapter 20 and provide means forholding spindle 22 in accurate axial alignment. A split collet 38 isshown inserted into spindle 22 and a screw 39 is provided to draw up thecollet into tight engagement with the spindle. Ordinarily, a. chuckassembly or tool would be inserted into the collet so that when it isdrawn up by screw 39, the chuck or tool is tightened into the collet aswell as tightening the collet into the spindle.

FIG. 3 clearly shows the power take off means, i.e., the pulley and beltdrive mechanism whereby the outrigger spindles 21 and 22 are rotatablydriven from the main or central spindle 23. Pulleys 40 and 41 aremounted on spindle 23 and connected to pulleys 42 and 43 fast onspindles 21 and 22 respectively by means of belts 44 and 45respectively. It may be ob served that the drive mechanism might havebeen located within the adapter between bearings 36 and 37, but for easeof maintenance has been located exterior to the adapter.

Also shown in FIG. 3, in phantom, is the position of the adapter bracket30 on the rear of the housing adapter. It may be noted that the guiderod axis 46 is slightly offset from but parallel to the axis of theoutrigger spindle 22. In FIG, 5, the adapter guide rod bracket is shownmounted by bolts such as at 47 onto the adapter 20. Any suitableconnector could be used.

To install the adapter 20 on the milling machine, it is necessary onlyto remove the nuts 32 to remove the machine head 10. The bushing bracket24 is then located at the joint 31 and the machine head reinstalled. Theguide rods are assembled with the adapter and the assembly is thenfitted into place with the guide rods positioned into the bushings, theadapter collar placed over the quill, and the clamping bolts and setscrews are then tightened. To remove the multispindle attachment, thesteps would be reversed.

While the principles of the invention have been described in connectionwith reference to the above specific embodiment,

it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by wayof example and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention as setforth in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In milling machine, a frame including work-supporting means andtool-supporting means, said tool-supporting means including a headsecured to said frame and an elongated quill carried by said head,tool-supporting spindle means carried by said quill, said head furtherincluding axially elongated guide means and feed means for axiallydisplacing said quill to ad vance and retract a quill-supported toolwith respect to said work-supporting means, and a multiple-spindleadapter for converting said machine to multispindle operation; saidadapter comprising a second tool-supporting spindle, a slide having abore to fit said quill and means to clamp the same to said quill, saidadapter including means for rotatably supporting said second spindle onan axis parallel to but offset from said first spindle, andpower-transmission takeoff means connecting said second spindle fordrive by said first spindle; and stabilizing guide means for saidadapter including coacting guide elements respectively fixed to saidadapter and to said frame and establishing an axis of guided support forthe unitary displacement of said adapter and quill, said axis beingparallel to and offset from the rotary axis of said spindles.

2. In a milling machine according to claim 1, a plurality of spacedspindles revolubly carried by said adapter on spaced axes, said powertakeoff means including drive means coupled to all of said spacedspindles.

3. In a milling machine according to claim 1, said frame fixed guideelement including a member intermediate said head and frame and securedthereto by means securing said head to said frame.

4. In a milling machine according to claim 1, said coacting guideelements comprising a plurality of spaced guide axes parallel to andoffset from the rotary axes of said spindles.

5. In a milling machine according to claim 2, wherein there are two ofsaid adapter spindles, with said adapter spindles being symmetricallypositioned on opposite sides of said quill.

6. In a milling machine, according to claim 4, wherein said pluralspaced guides are symmetrically positioned on opposite sides of theplane of symmetry of the axes of said adapter spindies.

7. In a milling machine, according to claim 5, wherein said pluralspaced guides are symmetrically positioned on opposite sides of theplane of symmetry of the axes of said adapter spindies.

8. In a milling machine according to claim 2, wherein thetool-supporting ends of said spindles are in substantially the sameplane normal to the axis of said quill.

9. In a milling machine according to claim 6, wherein said guides areeach equidistantly spaced from said axis of symmetry and from a planeincluding the axis of said spindles.

10. In a milling machine according to claim 3, said spaced guides beingfixedly connected to said frame-fixed element and slidably mounted tosaid adapterfixed element.

11. In a milling machine according to claim 4, said spaced guides beingfixedly connected to said frame-fixed element and slidably mounted tosaid adapter-fixed element.

12. In a milling machine according to claim 3, said spaced guides beingslidably mounted to said frame-fixed element and fixedly mounted to saidadapter-fixed element.

13. A milling machine according to claim 4, said spaced guides beingslidably mounted to said frame-fixed element and fixedly mounted to saidadapter-fixed element.

a s x

1. In milling machine, a frame including work-supporting means andtool-supporting means, said tool-supporting means including a headsecured to said frame and an elongated quill carried by said head,tool-supporting spindle means carried by said quill, said head furtherincluding axially elongated guide means and feed means for axiallydisplacing said quill to advance and retract a quill-supported tool withrespect to said work-supporting means, and a multiple-spindle adapterfor converting said machine to multispindle operation; said adaptercomprising a second toolsupporting spindle, a slide having a bore to fitsaid quill and means to clamp the same to said quill, said adapterincluding means for rotatably supporting said second spindle on an axisparallel to but offset from said first spindle, and powertransmissiontakeoff means connecting said second spindle for drive by said firstspindle; and stabilizing guide means for said adapter including coactingguide elements respectively fixed to said adapter and to said frame andestablishing an axis of guided support for the unitary displacement ofsaid adapter and quill, said axis being parallel to and offset from therotary axis of said spindles.
 2. In a milling machine according to claim1, a plurality of spaced spindles revolubly carried by said adapter onspaced axes, said power takeoff means including drive means coupled toall of said spaced spindles.
 3. In a milling machine according to claim1, said frame fixed guide element including a member intermediate saidhead and frame and secured thereto by means securing said head to saidframe.
 4. In a milling machine according to claim 1, said coacting guideelements comprising a plurality of spaced guide axes parallel to andoffset from the rotary axes of said spindles.
 5. In a milling machineaccording to claim 2, wherein there are two of said adapter spindles,with said adapter spindles being symmetrically positioned on oppositesides of said quill.
 6. In a milling machine, according to claim 4,wherein said plural spaced guides are symmetrically positioned onopposite sides of the plane of symmetry of the axes of said adapterspindles.
 7. In a milling machine, according to claim 5, wherein saidplural spaced guides are symmetrically positioned on opposite sides ofthe plane of symmetry of the axes of said adapter spindles.
 8. In amilling machine according to claim 2, wherein the tool-supporting endsof said spindles are in substantially the samE plane normal to the axisof said quill.
 9. In a milling machine according to claim 6, whereinsaid guides are each equidistantly spaced from said axis of symmetry andfrom a plane including the axis of said spindles.
 10. In a millingmachine according to claim 3, said spaced guides being fixedly connectedto said frame-fixed element and slidably mounted to said adapter-fixedelement.
 11. In a milling machine according to claim 4, said spacedguides being fixedly connected to said frame-fixed element and slidablymounted to said adapter-fixed element.
 12. In a milling machineaccording to claim 3, said spaced guides being slidably mounted to saidframe-fixed element and fixedly mounted to said adapter-fixed element.13. A milling machine according to claim 4, said spaced guides beingslidably mounted to said frame-fixed element and fixedly mounted to saidadapter-fixed element.